He Chose His Party Girl, Why Is He Crying Now?

Two in the morning. I found over a hundred transfer records on my husband Derek's phone. Every single one was for five, ten, or fifteen dollars. I opened the recipient's Instagram profile and found a feed full of pink hair, smoky eye makeup, and skin-tight low-rise jeans. Underneath was a caption that stung: "Thanks for the hot dogs, Pops. Spoiled again today." And the first person to like the post was my own daughter, Crystal, a well-behaved high school senior. Chapter 1 "Derek, explain this to me. What the hell is going on?" I fought to keep my voice from shaking as I shoved the phone screen right in Derek's bleary face. Derek jolted awake. The moment he registered what was on the screen, a flash of panic crossed his eyes. "It's the middle of the night. What's wrong with you? Going through my phone?" He snatched the phone from my hand and locked the screen. "It was just a handful of small transfers. I was helping a student who was struggling. Is that a crime?" I let out an incredulous laugh. "A struggling student? Is that why she's posting 'Thanks for the hot dogs, Pops' on Instagram? "What exactly is going on between you two?" The bedroom door swung open. Our daughter Crystal stood in the doorway, visibly annoyed. "Mom, why are you yelling in the middle of the night? Am I supposed to sleep or not?" I looked at Crystal, who normally wouldn't even raise her voice, and the chill inside me deepened. "Crystal, come here. Explain why you liked that woman's Instagram post." Crystal rolled her eyes, walked over, and latched onto Derek's arm. "Mom, can you stop being so paranoid? Candy is a really nice person. "Dad treats her like a daughter, and she's like a big sister to me. "So what if Dad buys her a few hot dogs? Do you have to make such a big deal out of everything?" He treats her like a daughter? A big sister? I felt like I was hearing the punchline to a bad joke. "Derek, did you ask my permission before you started treating her like a daughter? "And you, Crystal, your SATs are coming up. Why are you hanging around someone like that?" Derek slammed his fist on the nightstand. "Natalie, watch your mouth! What do you mean 'someone like that'? "Candy's had a rough life. She's been working to support herself since she was young. "I feel sorry for her. What's wrong with helping her out a little?" Crystal chimed in from the side. "Exactly, Mom. Candy is so independent. Way more impressive than a housewife who can't survive without a man." It was like a needle driven straight into my heart. I gave up a promotion for this family. I devoted myself entirely to taking care of the two of them. And now, in my own daughter's eyes, I was nothing but a housewife who couldn't survive without a man? Just then, Derek's phone rang. Candy was calling. Derek didn't even glance at me. He picked up and put it on speaker. "Derek, I'm hungry. I want wings from that place across town." A syrupy, nasally voice floated through the speaker. Derek's tone softened instantly. "Sure, sure. You want wings? I'll take you right now." Crystal leaned toward the phone and called out. "Candy, I want to come too! And grab me an iced coffee!" "Of course, Crystal! Tell your dad to bring you out. Meet me at the usual spot." The call ended. Derek threw off the covers, got out of bed, and started getting dressed. Crystal ran back to her room to change. I blocked the bedroom doorway, my eyes locked on Derek. "It's two in the morning, and the two of you are going out for wings with some party girl? "Derek, if you walk out that door tonight, we're getting a divorce!" Derek's hands paused on his jacket for a second. He turned and looked at me with pure contempt. "Natalie, don't threaten me with divorce. "You can't even support yourself without me. "You'd better stay home and behave. Don't make me angry." Crystal came running back after changing and shoved me aside. "Mom, get out of the way. Candy's getting impatient. "If you're really that bored, you can mop the floors while we're gone." The two of them walked out without a backward glance. The front door slammed shut. I stood alone in the empty living room, shaking from head to toe. "What on earth are you two doing?" Chapter 2 "Well, well. So you're Derek's frumpy old wife, huh?" The next day at noon, I had just finished making lunch when the front door swung open. A girl with blinding pink hair and heavy smoky makeup strutted in like she owned the place. She wore a tiny, skin-tight crop top with low-rise jeans. Derek and Crystal trailed behind her, weighed down with shopping bags. I eyed her coldly. "Who are you? Who said you could walk into my house?" Candy popped her gum and blew a bubble. "Derek told me to come. He said there's a free maid here who cooks. Might as well eat." She sauntered over to the dining table, grabbed a spare rib off the plate, and shoved it in her mouth. "Ugh! This is disgusting! Lady, your cooking is terrible." She tossed the bitten rib straight onto the tablecloth. I was shaking with anger. I pointed at the front door. "Get out of my house!" Derek rushed over and pulled Candy behind him. "Natalie, what are you doing? Candy is a guest. Is this how you treat a guest?" "A guest? Since when do guests have no manners?" Crystal dropped her shopping bags on the couch and glared at me. "Mom, you're being ridiculous! Candy's in a bad mood today, and Dad brought her over to cheer her up. "Can you just keep it down and stop ruining everyone's mood?" I stared at the couch, piled high with bags stamped with designer logos, and my heart sank. "Derek, where did you get the money to buy her all of this?" Derek's eyes darted away. "It's my salary. I'll spend it on whoever I want. What's it to you?" Candy peeked out from behind Derek and made a face at me. "Lady, Derek felt bad that I couldn't afford nice things, so he bought me a few outfits. What's the big deal? "Look at you. Dressed like a total frump. No wonder Derek doesn't want to be seen with you." Then she walked over to my vanity and picked up my favorite bottle of perfume. "Ooh, this perfume smells amazing. Derek, I want it!" Derek nodded eagerly. "Take it. I'll buy her a new one." I lunged forward and snatched the bottle back. "That's mine. Don't touch it!" Candy let out a shriek and threw herself to the floor. "Ow! Derek, she pushed me! My foot hurts!" Derek went pale with alarm and crouched down to help her up. "Candy, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" He turned and glared at me with venom. "Natalie, have you lost your mind? You actually put your hands on her!" Crystal rushed over and hovered around Candy with a look of concern. "Mom, how could you be so cruel? Candy just liked your perfume. Did you really have to push her?" I looked at the three of them, a picture-perfect little family, and the absurdity of it all crashed over me. "I didn't push her. She fell on purpose!" Candy nestled into Derek's arms, tears streaming down her face. "Derek, maybe I should just go. She obviously doesn't want me here. "I'm just a nobody. Nobody loves me, nobody cares about me. I shouldn't have come here and bothered everyone." Derek's heart broke for her, and he pulled her in tight. "Don't be scared, Candy. This is my house, and I'd like to see who dares kick you out!" He stood up and jabbed a finger at my face. "Natalie, apologize to Candy right now!" "Not a chance!" Crystal let out a cold laugh. "Mom, if you don't apologize to Candy, I won't go to school tomorrow, and I won't take the SATs!" I stared at my own daughter, unable to believe what I was hearing. "You're using the SATs to threaten me?" "Yeah, I am. Your choice." Chapter 3 "Natalie, are you going to apologize or not?" Derek seemed to have run out of patience. He looked at me coldly. I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood. "I'll say it one more time. I didn't push her, and I'm not apologizing." Crystal scoffed and turned toward the door. "Fine. I'm leaving. I'm done with school." "Crystal!" The shout left my mouth before I could stop it. Less than a hundred days until the SATs. How could she gamble with her own future like this? Derek grabbed Crystal's arm and turned on me with a roar. "Natalie, are you determined to ruin your daughter's future? "Over a stupid bottle of perfume, you're willing to sacrifice her SATs?" Candy dabbed at her eyes with a performance worthy of an award. "Derek, Crystal, stop fighting. It's all my fault. "She doesn't like me. I'll leave. Please don't let me come between you." She made a move toward the door, but Derek caught her and held on tight. "Candy, don't go. You're not the one who should be leaving today." Derek turned to me, his gaze dark and menacing. "Natalie, if you can't stand having Candy here, then get out." I froze. "You're telling me to leave?" "That's right. Get out and cool off. Come back when you've come to your senses." Crystal backed him up. "Exactly, Mom. You're terrifying right now, acting like some kind of lunatic. "Go stay somewhere else for a few days. You're ruining my study time." I looked at the two people closest to me in this world, and the cold that had been building inside me swallowed me whole. Without a word, I walked into the bedroom and packed a few things. On my way through the living room, I caught Candy sitting on the couch, watching me with a smirk. "Bye-bye, lady. Don't let the door hit you." I didn't acknowledge her. I walked straight out. Out on the street, the cold wind hit me, and it dawned on me that I had nowhere to go. I checked into a cheap motel, my mind a complete mess. The next morning, I went to the bank. I had to find out exactly how much money Derek had spent on that woman. When the teller handed me the transaction history, I felt the ground drop out from under me. He'd actually cashed out our $150,000 certificate of deposit early! Every last dollar had been transferred to an account under the name "Candy Shaw." I dialed Derek's number like a woman possessed. "Derek, where is the $150,000 from our savings? What did you do with the money?" On the other end, Derek sounded perfectly calm. "I invested it." "Invested it? You gave it to Candy? Have you lost your mind?" "Natalie, stop with the hysterics. "Candy knows someone with a great business opportunity. We put the money in, and it'll double in a few months. "What would a housewife like you know? Don't mess this up for me." I was trembling with fury. "Get that money back now! That's Crystal's college fund!" Candy's voice suddenly came through the phone. "Oh, relax, lady. Don't be so stingy. "Derek is doing this for the family. Once it doubles, you think Crystal won't have tuition money? "Besides, Derek is a shareholder in my company now. The money's already invested. You can't just take it back." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Derek, you went behind my back and started a company with her?" Derek cut me off, irritated. "Enough. Stop nagging. I'm busy. "You'd better behave and stay out of my way." The line went dead. I slumped into a chair at the bank, feeling like the whole world was spinning. What was happening? Had Derek actually lost his mind? Chapter 4 On the third afternoon, I was too worried to stay away, so I went home to check on them. The moment I pushed open the door, I saw the living room in shambles. My most treasured possession, the blue-and-white porcelain vase, lay shattered across the floor. It was the only keepsake my grandmother had left me. Candy stood in the middle of the wreckage, holding a baseball bat, looking entirely unbothered. Derek sat on the couch smoking, his brow furrowed. I rushed in like a woman possessed, dropped to my knees, and tried to piece the fragments back together. "Who did this? Who did this!" Tears streamed down my face. Candy pouted and tossed the baseball bat aside. "I did. "I was practicing my swing in the living room, and the bat slipped out of my hands. Oops. "Lady, don't be so petty. It's just a vase. What's it even worth?" I shot to my feet, charged at her, and slapped her hard across the face. "Shut up! That was my grandmother's!" The crack of the slap rang through the room. Everything went silent. Candy clutched her cheek, staring at me in shock. "You hit me?" Derek jumped up and shoved me away. "Natalie, you've lost it! You actually hit Candy!" I stumbled backward and fell onto the shattered porcelain. A shard cut my palm, and blood streamed out. But I felt nothing. I locked eyes with Derek. "She destroyed my grandmother's keepsake, and you're protecting her?" Derek didn't even glance at my bleeding hands. All he saw was Candy. "Candy didn't do it on purpose! Did you really have to hit her that hard? "It's just a vase. It's broken. I'll buy you a new one!" I turned to Crystal. "Crystal, you just stood there and watched her destroy something your great-grandmother left us?" Crystal avoided my gaze and muttered under her breath. "Mom, Candy really didn't mean to. "Besides, that vase was in the way. It's broken. So what." I looked at the three of them, and in that moment, they felt like total strangers. They were the family. I was just the outsider. Whatever small hope I had left crumbled to nothing. I slowly got to my feet and looked at Derek with cold, steady eyes. "Derek, let's get a divorce." Derek blinked, then gave a scornful laugh. "Divorce? Fine by me. You're the one asking for it. "But let me be clear. Since you're the one who wants this, you'll walk away with nothing." My eyes went wide. "Are you serious? You gave all our money to this woman, and now you want me to walk away with nothing?" Derek walked over to Candy and draped his arm around her shoulders. "On what grounds? The apartment is premarital property. It's mine. "As for the savings, I invested every last dollar. There's nothing left in the account. "If you want a divorce, then get out. Don't think for a second you're taking a dime." Candy looked at me, triumphant, a mocking curl at the corner of her lips. "Hear that, lady? Derek says you have to walk away with nothing. "Better sign those papers and get out of here. You're an eyesore." I stared at their smug faces, and suddenly, it all clicked. "You planned this. "You provoked me on purpose to make me ask for the divorce so I'd walk away with nothing." Derek said nothing. He just looked at me with cold indifference. "Natalie, by the time you figured it out, it was already too late."